Lefty Gomez, baseball player, 1930-1943

Lefty Gomez

⭐ Hall of Fame 1972

Born: 11/26/1908 in Rodeo, CA, USA

Died: 2/17/1989 in Greenbrae, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1930-04-29 | Final Game: 1943-05-30

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 173 lbs

Full name: Vernon Louis Gomez

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Biography

Lefty Gomez, born in 1908, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1930 until his retirement in 1943. He established himself as one of the game's great left-handed pitchers during the Golden Age of Baseball, a period characterized by the rise of powerful offensive play and the emergence of legendary figures. Over his career, Gomez compiled an impressive record of 189 wins and 102 losses, with a career earned run average (ERA) of 3.34. He struck out 1,468 batters and recorded 9 saves, showcasing both his longevity and effectiveness on the mound. Gomez was selected to the All-Star team seven times and was known for his exceptional pitching skills and charismatic personality. His contributions to the sport were recognized when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. As a member of the New York Yankees, he played a pivotal role in the team’s success during the 1930s and early 1940s, contributing to multiple championship-winning seasons. Lefty Gomez remains a significant figure in baseball history, remembered not only for his statistical achievements but also for his influence on the game during a transformative era.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
189 102 368 320 173 28 9 2503.0 2290 930 138 1095 1468 3.34 0

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
1930 NYY AL 2 5 15 6 2 0 1 60.0 66 37 28 22 5.55 -
1931 NYY AL 21 9 40 26 17 1 3 243.0 206 72 85 150 2.67 -
1932 NYY AL 24 7 37 31 21 1 1 265.3 266 124 105 176 4.21 -
1933 NYY AL 16 10 35 30 14 4 2 234.7 218 83 106 163 3.18 -
1934 NYY AL 26 5 38 33 25 6 1 281.7 223 73 96 158 2.33 -
1935 NYY AL 12 15 34 30 15 2 1 246.0 223 87 86 138 3.18 -
1936 NYY AL 13 7 31 30 10 0 0 188.7 184 92 122 105 4.39 -
1937 NYY AL 21 11 34 34 25 6 0 278.3 233 72 93 194 2.33 -
1938 NYY AL 18 12 32 32 20 4 0 239.0 239 89 99 129 3.35 -
1939 NYY AL 12 8 26 26 14 2 0 198.0 173 75 84 102 3.41 -
1940 NYY AL 3 3 9 5 0 0 0 27.3 37 20 18 14 6.59 -
1941 NYY AL 15 5 23 23 8 2 0 156.3 151 65 103 76 3.74 -
1942 NYY AL 6 4 13 13 2 0 0 80.0 67 38 65 41 4.28 -
1943 WSN AL 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 4.7 4 3 5 0 5.79 -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
368 904 59 133 11 0 0 58 1 50 252 0.147 0.194 0.159 0.353 -7381.0

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG PIV
1930 NYY AL 15 20 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 0.150 0.0
1931 NYY AL 40 83 8 11 0 0 0 3 0 7 28 0.133 -773.6
1932 NYY AL 37 104 9 18 2 0 0 15 0 6 36 0.173 -793.5
1933 NYY AL 35 80 3 9 0 0 0 3 0 7 23 0.113 -742.0
1934 NYY AL 38 99 8 13 1 0 0 4 0 6 30 0.131 -951.3
1935 NYY AL 34 83 4 10 0 0 0 4 0 3 15 0.120 -905.7
1936 NYY AL 31 69 1 10 1 0 0 5 0 3 23 0.145 -666.8
1937 NYY AL 34 105 8 21 2 0 0 4 1 5 22 0.200 -704.5
1938 NYY AL 32 86 5 13 2 0 0 7 0 4 18 0.151 -762.1
1939 NYY AL 26 73 3 11 2 0 0 4 0 5 22 0.151 -606.8
1940 NYY AL 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 0.0
1941 NYY AL 23 59 5 9 1 0 0 4 0 3 12 0.153 -474.6
1942 NYY AL 13 33 4 5 0 0 0 4 0 1 12 0.152 0.0
1943 WSN AL 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 20 3 3 0 0 0 4 2 7 0.150

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1939 WS NYA 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1938 WS NYA 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1937 WS NYA 2 6 2 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 0.167
1936 WS NYA 2 8 1 2 0 0 0 3 0 3 0.250
1932 WS NYA 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
6 0 7 7 0 50.3 51 16 15 31 2.86

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1939 WS NYA 0 0 1 1 0 1.0 3 1 0 1 9.00
1938 WS NYA 1 0 1 1 0 7.0 9 3 1 5 3.86
1937 WS NYA 2 0 2 2 0 18.0 16 3 2 8 1.50
1936 WS NYA 2 0 2 2 0 15.3 14 8 11 9 4.70
1932 WS NYA 1 0 1 1 0 9.0 9 1 1 8 1.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 368 0 56 393 20 20

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1930 NYA P 15 0 1 18 0 0
1931 NYA P 40 0 6 43 1 1
1932 NYA P 37 0 2 36 2 3
1933 NYA P 35 0 4 30 4 0
1934 NYA P 38 0 7 42 1 2
1935 NYA P 34 0 6 49 2 2
1936 NYA P 31 0 4 29 1 3
1937 NYA P 34 0 3 36 3 1
1938 NYA P 32 0 12 51 1 5
1939 NYA P 26 0 2 33 1 0
1940 NYA P 9 0 1 2 0 0
1941 NYA P 23 0 6 11 2 2
1942 NYA P 13 0 2 9 1 0
1943 WS1 P 1 0 0 4 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 368

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1938 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1938 TSN All-Star P
1937 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1937 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1937 Pitching Triple Crown
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1934 Pitching Triple Crown
1934 TSN All-Star P
1932 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1932 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1938 Most Valuable Player AL 30th 1.0 336 0
1937 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 14.0 80 0
1934 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 60.0 80 0
1932 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 27.0 80 0